Systems and Methods for Establishing a Voice Link Between Users Accessing Media

1. A method for establishing a voice communications link between multiple users who are accessing a media asset, the method comprising: accessing a media asset using a first user device, the first user device being associated with a first user at a first location, a first voice communications device associated with the first user being located at the first location; retrieving a contacts list associated with the first user and that includes contact information for each of a plurality of users, wherein the contacts list identifies a plurality of media assets currently being accessed by user devices associated with each of the plurality of users, respectively; searching the contacts list to identify which of the plurality of media assets corresponds to the media asset that is being accessed using the first user device; identifying, based on searching the contacts list, a second user device associated with a second user that is accessing the media asset from a second location while the media asset is also being accessed using the first user device, a second voice communications device associated with the second user being located at the second location; retrieving contact information associated with the second user from the contacts lists; establishing, based on the retrieved contact information, a voice communications link between the first and second voice communications devices that enables the first and second users to speak to each other while accessing the media asset; processing metadata associated with the media asset to determine a first content attribute of a plurality of content attributes that is associated with content, of the media asset, currently being displayed to the first user; setting, based on the first attribute associated with the content currently being displayed to the first user, a volume level of audio received by the first voice communications device via with the voice communications link; and causing the audio received by the first voice communications device via the voice communications link from the second voice communications device to be presented to the first user at the set volume level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first voice communications device includes an audio output device, wherein setting the volume level comprises: searching, with the first user device, a local area network to identify the first voice communications device; sending a command to the first voice communications device specifying the volume level to cause the audio output device of the first voice communications device to change a volume setting to match the volume level; and directing the audio received via the voice communications link to the audio output device at the first location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second voice communications devices each includes a voice response system that receives verbal commands and responds to the verbal commands audibly.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the media asset using the first user device comprises causing audio of the media asset to be presented at a given volume level, and wherein causing the audio received via the voice communications link from the second voice communications device to be presented to the first user at the set volume level comprises: changing the volume level of audio received via the voice communications link that is presented to the first user; and maintaining volume of the audio of the media asset at the given volume level while the volume level of audio received via the voice communications link is changed.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: comparing the first attribute to a profile of the first user to determine an interest level associated with the currently displayed content; in response to determining that the interest level is above a threshold, decreasing the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link; and in response to determining that the interest level is below the threshold, increasing the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the metadata comprises: detecting keywords in speech being exchanged by the first and second users over the voice communications link; and comparing the keywords to the words associated with plurality of content attributes to identify a word associated with the first content attribute.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media asset is a sporting event, wherein the first attribute represents a scoring metric indicating likelihood of an upcoming scoring event in the sporting event, further comprising: in response to determining that the scoring metric is above a threshold, decreasing the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link; and in response to determining that the scoring metric is below the threshold, increasing the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first attribute indicates at least one of a spoiler segment of the media asset and a non-commercial segment, further comprising decreasing the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications during at least one of the spoiler segment of the media asset and the non-commercial segment.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising searching a database of volume levels associated with content attributes to identify a first volume level associated with the first content attribute, wherein setting the volume level causes the volume level to be adjusted to the first volume level.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the voice communications link between the first and second voice communications devices comprises: receiving, with the first voice communications device, a voice command from the first user requesting to communicate with the second user; transmitting a request to the second voice communications device of the second user to authorize the first user to communicate with the second user; and in response to receiving, with the second voice communications device, a voice command from the second user authorizing the first user to communicate with the second user, forming a real-time connection between the first voice communications device and the second voice communications device, wherein using the real-time connection the first voice communications device continuously transmits to the second voice communications device audio detected by a microphone of the first voice communications device, and wherein using the real-time connection the second voice communications device continuously transmits to the first voice communications device audio detected by a microphone of the second voice communications device.

11. A system for establishing a voice communications link between multiple users who are accessing a media asset, the system comprising: control circuitry configured to: access a media asset using a first user device, the first user device being associated with a first user at a first location, a first voice communications device associated with the first user being located at the first location; retrieve a contacts list associated with the first user and that includes contact information for each of a plurality of users, wherein the contacts list identifies a plurality of media assets currently being accessed by user devices associated with each of the plurality of users, respectively; search the contacts list to identify which of the plurality of media assets corresponds to the media asset that is being accessed using the first user device; identify, based on searching the contacts list, a second user device associated with a second user that is accessing the media asset from a second location while the media asset is also being accessed using the first user device, a second voice communications device associated with the second user being located at the second location; retrieve contact information associated with the second user from the contacts lists; establish, based on the retrieved contact information, a voice communications link between the first and second voice communications devices that enables the first and second users to speak to each other while accessing the media asset; process metadata associated with the media asset to determine a first content attribute of a plurality of content attributes that is associated with content, of the media asset, currently being displayed to the first user; set, based on the first attribute associated with the content currently being displayed to the first user, a volume level of audio received by the first voice communications device via with the voice communications link; and cause the audio received by the first voice communications device via the voice communications link from the second voice communications device to be presented to the first user at the set volume level.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first voice communications device includes an audio output device, wherein the control circuitry is configured to set the volume level by: searching, with the first user device, a local area network to identify the first voice communications device; sending a command to the first voice communications device specifying the volume level to cause the audio output device of the first voice communications device to change a volume setting to match the volume level; and directing the audio received via the voice communications link to the audio output device at the first location.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first and second voice communications devices each includes a voice response system that receives verbal commands and responds to the verbal commands audibly.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to access the media asset using the first user device comprises by causing audio of the media asset to be presented at a given volume level, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the audio received via the voice communications link from the second voice communications device to be presented to the first user at the set volume level by: changing the volume level of audio received via the voice communications link that is presented to the first user; and maintaining volume of the audio of the media asset at the given volume level while the volume level of audio received via the voice communications link is changed.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: compare the first attribute to a profile of the first user to determine an interest level associated with the currently displayed content; in response to determining that the interest level is above a threshold, decrease the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link; and in response to determining that the interest level is below the threshold, increase the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to process the metadata by: detecting keywords in speech being exchanged by the first and second users over the voice communications link; and comparing the keywords to the words associated with plurality of content attributes to identify a word associated with the first content attribute.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the media asset is a sporting event, wherein the first attribute represents a scoring metric indicating likelihood of an upcoming scoring event in the sporting event, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: in response to determining that the scoring metric is above a threshold, decrease the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link; and in response to determining that the scoring metric is below the threshold, increase the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications link.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first attribute indicates at least one of a spoiler segment of the media asset and a non-commercial segment, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to decrease the volume level of the audio received via with the voice communications during at least one of the spoiler segment of the media asset and the non-commercial segment.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to search a database of volume levels associated with content attributes to identify a first volume level associated with the first content attribute, wherein setting the volume level causes the volume level to be adjusted to the first volume level.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to establish the voice communications link between the first and second voice communications devices by: receiving, with the first voice communications device, a voice command from the first user requesting to communicate with the second user; transmitting a request to the second voice communications device of the second user to authorize the first user to communicate with the second user; and in response to receiving, with the second voice communications device, a voice command from the second user authorizing the first user to communicate with the second user, forming a real-time connection between the first voice communications device and the second voice communications device, wherein using the real-time connection the first voice communications device continuously transmits to the second voice communications device audio detected by a microphone of the first voice communications device, and wherein using the real-time connection the second voice communications device continuously transmits to the first voice communications device audio detected by a microphone of the second voice communications device.